I've walked most of the Appalachian Trail...its ups and downs are a lot like life. I love life, but EMT work has taught me that life is uncertain for us all. Let's talk about how to make the world work. There's lots of people who've got to live with what we leave behind.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Optimistic About America

"Necessity is the mother of invention". Trite, but true. Often the only way to get action started is to create a crisis. Well, America has finally got a crisis on its hands with gas prices, and soon we will also realize that America's fiscal affairs also represent a crisis of major proportions. This is good, for we will finally, if belatedly, roll up our sleeves and do something about changing out our energy supplies and fixing our entitlement imbalances.

It's hard to be optimistic when a big chunk of previously disposable income is now exiting the exhaust pipe and the American dollar is under water, but I think we should be happy. Our country is blessed with millions of smart, creative people and a political/economic system that is flexible enough to undergo dramatic change without breaking. Our country will be a lot different in ten years, and the metamorphosis won't be too painful.

Not sure about this prognostication? Just remember what we did when we finally decided to stop Hitler. Our moribund industrial sector flipped its priorities and ramped up in an incredibly short time to produce everything we needed to win a worldwide war. And when the Russians beat us to space, we responded by standing on the moon within ten years using less computer power than my cell phone now has. America is just as capable now as then - we just seem to need a kick in the pants to get going.

I'm excited about the future. At almost 64, I have perhaps one more generation of time to view the evolution of America. All we need now is some leadership to get us on the same page and free us to get busy. Take heart! Our new world is just around the corner, and getting there will be fun.